Bad clear bra job

[markology]

I had a clear bra done to my car about 1.5 months ago. I posted pics of the first job and the issue was that it did not come anywhere close to the edge of the hood. After some push back, they agreed to redo it.

Now I am noticing marks from the first job. I can't tell if they are scratch marks (from the cutting) or some kind of residue from the first wrap (as in, they did a poor job of cleaning the hood before installing the new bra). My questions are the following:

- has anyone experience an installation company that actually damaged the paint of the car;

- anyone experienced a company who refused to refund;

- if there are scratches, do the company pay for the repair;

- if they refund, will they remove the bra;

- refuse to resolve the issue (so, for me, it would be to do my hood for the third time in two months);

- have had companies make multiple attempts before they got the job right.

I'm kind of confused at this point. For one, I don't know if these are scratches that I'm seeing or just poor cleaning. If it's scratches, do I want this company to redo the paint? But if they are just marks from the old bra, do I want to stay with this company. My fear is that they are pissed and will take less pride at doing my car. If they give me a refund and remove the bra, their emotions will take the best of them and they could damage the paint.

Any thoughts on this? Personal stories? Or stories that you've heard?

I'll post pics soon.

Thanks.

Pic: where my thumb ends is where the bra ends. You see the line before that. That's where the old bra ended. Is the line a scratch?

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[Matador91]

I had a clear bra done to my car about 1.5 months ago. I posted pics of the first job and the issue was that it did not come anywhere close to the edge of the hood. After some push back, they agreed to redo it.

Now I am noticing marks from the first job. I can't tell if they are scratch marks (from the cutting) or some kind of residue from the first wrap (as in, they did a poor job of cleaning the hood before installing the new bra). My questions are the following:

- has anyone experience an installation company that actually damaged the paint of the car;

- anyone experienced a company who refused to refund;

- if there are scratches, do the company pay for the repair;

- if they refund, will they remove the bra;

- refuse to resolve the issue (so, for me, it would be to do my hood for the third time in two months);

- have had companies make multiple attempts before they got the job right.

I'm kind of confused at this point. For one, I don't know if these are scratches that I'm seeing or just poor cleaning. If it's scratches, do I want this company to redo the paint? But if they are just marks from the old bra, do I want to stay with this company. My fear is that they are pissed and will take less pride at doing my car. If they give me a refund and remove the bra, their emotions will take the best of them and they could damage the paint.

Any thoughts on this? Personal stories? Or stories that you've heard?

I'll post pics soon.

Thanks.

Pic: where my thumb ends is where the bra ends. You see the line before that. That's where the old bra ended. Is the line a scratch?

I'll try and give you a quick response. I personally install XPEL film for a living and I see bad installs all the time. I would put money on it that they used a razor blade to trim the film instead of just wrapping the edges, but in doing so they cut all the way through the film and into the paint. If it were adhesive the film would be lifted up around the line, essentially causing moisture/air to be trapped.

I would ask for a refund and ask them to fix the issue. All shops screw up from time to time but if they want to stay in business they should be handling this manner as professionals, realizing they messed up and doing everything possible to make you "the customer" happy.

 

[markology]

I appreciate the input. If I may, I would like to ask a couple of follow up questions.

They told me that they do not wrap around the hood because of pealing. Is that true?

Is there. Reason why you wouldn't ask them to fix the issue and rewrap?

If it is cut marks on the paint, do they have the ability to redo the paint back to manufacturing paint? This place does paint jobs as well. Not sure if it's any different from factory paint.

Do you think it is cut marks instead of residue?

Thanks. Appreciate a professional installer providing inputs.

 

[Wblv17]

I had a clear bra done to my car about 1.5 months ago. I posted pics of the first job and the issue was that it did not come anywhere close to the edge of the hood. After some push back, they agreed to redo it.

Now I am noticing marks from the first job. I can't tell if they are scratch marks (from the cutting) or some kind of residue from the first wrap (as in, they did a poor job of cleaning the hood before installing the new bra). My questions are the following:

- has anyone experience an installation company that actually damaged the paint of the car;

- anyone experienced a company who refused to refund;

- if there are scratches, do the company pay for the repair;

- if they refund, will they remove the bra;

- refuse to resolve the issue (so, for me, it would be to do my hood for the third time in two months);

- have had companies make multiple attempts before they got the job right.

I'm kind of confused at this point. For one, I don't know if these are scratches that I'm seeing or just poor cleaning. If it's scratches, do I want this company to redo the paint? But if they are just marks from the old bra, do I want to stay with this company. My fear is that they are pissed and will take less pride at doing my car. If they give me a refund and remove the bra, their emotions will take the best of them and they could damage the paint.

Any thoughts on this? Personal stories? Or stories that you've heard?

I'll post pics soon.

Thanks.

Pic: where my thumb ends is where the bra ends. You see the line before that. That's where the old bra ended. Is the line a scratch?

Looks like what my car has been doing to the repainted sections and now some of the factory section. The dealer found 2 colors of paint on another area on that side they didn't repaint. And yes they know the car very well as it has been at the dealer 4.5 months of it's 6 month life and was a custom order from same dealer and has 2007 miles on it. Granted It turns me on looking at it. My dealers body shop is top notch, This time special cleaner let sit for a few days and make sure it doesn't come back, special primer, the paint match has always been dead on as the have the PC mixer. It rains so much here in Texas now I appreciate the free storage, always kept inside, if not on rack to keep it off tires.

But I never had a clear bra. Is it under the clear coat? Mine is coming up from original primer


and to be clear I'm talking about the fish eyes, that line will buff out if it's just not residue.

 

[Matador91]

I appreciate the input. If I may, I would like to ask a couple of follow up questions.

They told me that they do not wrap around the hood because of pealing. Is that true?

Is there. Reason why you wouldn't ask them to fix the issue and rewrap?

If it is cut marks on the paint, do they have the ability to redo the paint back to manufacturing paint? This place does paint jobs as well. Not sure if it's any different from factory paint.

Do you think it is cut marks instead of residue?

Thanks. Appreciate a professional installer providing inputs.

Wrapping a hood or fender is the best way to prevent lifting, not wrapping edges will be more prone to lifting as well as being more prone to rock Chips at the leading edge of the hood.

Once again I would put money on it that they are cut marks. The line is to small and uniformed to be residue.

I would find a better shop to repair the paint. Also I would find a better shop to install new film. Go on XPEL.COM to search for a installer near you, also do a couple of yelp searches in your area for collision shops and shops that install film.

 

[markology]

Wrapping a hood or fender is the best way to prevent lifting, not wrapping edges will be more prone to lifting as well as being more prone to rock Chips at the leading edge of the hood.

Once again I would put money on it that they are cut marks. The line is to small and uniformed to be residue.

I would find a better shop to repair the paint. Also I would find a better shop to install new film. Go on XPEL.COM to search for a installer near you, also do a couple of yelp searches in your area for collision shops and shops that install film.

I wanted them to wrap the edges but that was their reasoning -- that it will lift or peal.

I was afraid that these are cut marks. I'm having an appointment with the owner on Wednesday. I pray to God that it's not cut marks. It's not just the front edge of the hood, but at other areas as well.

The sad part is, this is a reputable installer. I was recommended to them by a couple of people and they have good ratings on the internet.

If I find a new shop, obviously I will have this shop pay for the repair, right? Also, I have Suntek, if that makes any difference for what you see.

Again, I appreciate the input. I'm really praying that it these are not cut marks. If they are, this is f-ed up that they will not owe up to it, especially when I came back a second time to have them redo it. Wouldn't they think that I would notice them, given that I looked at the work carefully the first time?

 

[3AlarmStang]

I'll try and give you a quick response. I personally install XPEL film for a living and I see bad installs all the time. I would put money on it that they used a razor blade to trim the film instead of just wrapping the edges, but in doing so they cut all the way through the film and into the paint. If it were adhesive the film would be lifted up around the line, essentially causing moisture/air to be trapped.

I would ask for a refund and ask them to fix the issue. All shops screw up from time to time but if they want to stay in business they should be handling this manner as professionals, realizing they messed up and doing everything possible to make you "the customer" happy.

I agree with everything he said. I own a sign shop however we do not do the clear bras but we install on vehicles all the time. there is a knife less tape that is used to ensure no cutting occurs on the paint. Also, you can wrap the edge. It's all about adhesion and curing. I'd hold them fully responsible and tell them you expect them to both remove and fix their mistake.

 

[markology]

Let's assume these are cuts, should I have them pay for a repaint of the entire hood or just the parts there were cut? It should be the entire hood, right?

I don't know much about repainting cars, but would this create a two-tone pain on the car? Like, the hood has a different tone of black than the rest of the car? How about long run? Would the fade be different?

Thanks.

 

[Blk2015GT]

Let's assume these are cuts, should I have them pay for a repaint of the entire hood or just the parts there were cut? It should be the entire hood, right?

I don't know much about repainting cars, but would this create a two-tone pain on the car? Like, the hood has a different tone of black than the rest of the car? How about long run? Would the fade be different?

Thanks.

Go to a reputable shop that does paint and get a quote and make this screwup shop pay it. Do not let them touch your car again, they definitely look like cut marks and that is irresponsible of them.

Luckily black is one of the few non-metallic paints Ford offers so it is easier to blend- the metallic makes it harder to match because of the reflective metal flake and distribution of that flake in the paint. You shouldn't have any fade issues, these cars are only months old at most, it takes years to get color fade if at all.

 

[markology]

Go to a reputable shop that does paint and get a quote and make this screwup shop pay it. Do not let them touch your car again, they definitely look like cut marks and that is irresponsible of them.

Luckily black is one of the few non-metallic paints Ford offers so it is easier to blend- the metallic makes it harder to match because of the reflective metal flake and distribution of that flake in the paint. You shouldn't have any fade issues, these cars are only months old at most, it takes years to get color fade if at all.

Thanks for the input. I don't know this town very well (Lincoln, NE) so I don't know who to ask. This place is very reputable in clear bras, tints, paint, stereo installation, etc. I guess I was the unlucky soul whose car the f-ed up.

I'll get on the internet to see if I can find someone. I do have a meeting with the owner of the shop that did the bra. I want to see what he says. I still pray that it isn't a scratch and that it's them trying to hurry my reinstallation and not clean the hood. I'll update you guys tomorrow.

 

[markology]

So here's the update.

They admit that it's a scratch, but they won't know how bad it is until the remove the film. They could just buff if out or they will have to repaint that area and buff it and reinstall the film.

Here are my questions:

- Can you really buff out scratches that are as minor as the one you see on mine? You can see the white, so it's not so minor such that you can just buff it out, right?

- Is it recommended that they repaint just that area or do they have to redo the entire hood? They are telling me that it's just that area.

- They want to split the cost of the film with me. This will be their third install. They are asking for 100. Now, I'm all for supporting small businesses but does the film really cost over 200? I read somewhere that it is much cheaper than that.

I know you guys are saying I should take my business elsewhere. But I'm torn because I don't have many other places to go unless I return to Chicago (which I only stay there for a few days at a time). I'm also torn because I want to give them a chance to make it right. This will be their third time if they do. And I'm also torn because I want to support small businesses. (I'm sure Matador can appreciate this) I'm willing to give me something to make up for the cost of the film and labor. But I'm suspicious of the cost of the film they are telling me.

Maybe if you guys provide answers to my questions, I can make a better decision. I'm not against asking for a full refund, but that will depend on the answers.

Thanks ahead of time again. The film is by Suntek, by the way.

 

[Matador91]

So here's the update.

They admit that it's a scratch, but they won't know how bad it is until the remove the film. They could just buff if out or they will have to repaint that area and buff it and reinstall the film.

Here are my questions:

- Can you really buff out scratches that are as minor as the one you see on mine? You can see the white, so it's not so minor such that you can just buff it out, right?

- Is it recommended that they repaint just that area or do they have to redo the entire hood? They are telling me that it's just that area.

- They want to split the cost of the film with me. This will be their third install. They are asking for 100. Now, I'm all for supporting small businesses but does the film really cost over 200? I read somewhere that it is much cheaper than that.

I know you guys are saying I should take my business elsewhere. But I'm torn because I don't have many other places to go unless I return to Chicago (which I only stay there for a few days at a time). I'm also torn because I want to give them a chance to make it right. This will be their third time if they do. And I'm also torn because I want to support small businesses. (I'm sure Matador can appreciate this) I'm willing to give me something to make up for the cost of the film and labor. But I'm suspicious of the cost of the film they are telling me.

Maybe if you guys provide answers to my questions, I can make a better decision. I'm not against asking for a full refund, but that will depend on the answers.

Thanks ahead of time again. The film is by Suntek, by the way.

Shops like this give other small businesses a bad wrap. I wish I could fly out there and rip these guys a new one.

To properly repair the blade marks they MUST repaint the whole hood.... Also, I can't even believe they have the nerve to ask for more money when they messed up the paint in the first place. If you pay $100 for them to replace the film, they will still come out ahead.

This shop just sounds like they cut corners on everything. Have the film taken off on the hood, go to a reputable collision repair shop and get a estimate to repair the hood. Stop wasting your time with the original shop...

When I first started doing film I went through 3/4 of a 24inch roll of film which was around $500 trying to give my customer the best install on his hood as possible. I didn't give the car back until I thought my install was on par with my personal standards. I lost money on that job but, you know what, I didn't lose a customer.

You need to find a new installer!

 

[markology]

Shops like this give other small businesses a bad wrap. I wish I could fly out there and rip these guys a new one.

To properly repair the blade marks they MUST repaint the whole hood.... Also, I can't even believe they have the nerve to ask for more money when they messed up the paint in the first place. If you pay $100 for them to replace the film, they will still come out ahead.

This shop just sounds like they cut corners on everything. Have the film taken off on the hood, go to a reputable collision repair shop and get a estimate to repair the hood. Stop wasting your time with the original shop...

When I first started doing film I went through 3/4 of a 24inch roll of film which was around $500 trying to give my customer the best install on his hood as possible. I didn't give the car back until I thought my install was on par with my personal standards. I lost money on that job but, you know what, I didn't lose a customer.

You need to find a new installer!

Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it. I wanted a a clear bra so that I don't have to worry about marks on my car. I wanted the protection done in a very simple way that doesn't require a lot of time and effort on my part. This is turning into a nightmare. Now I need to get the hood repainted (and I don't have a car to get around in the meantime), argue with these jerks to give me my money back and pay for the hood, etc. Not what I originally intended.

 

[Matador91]

Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it. I wanted a a clear bra so that I don't have to worry about marks on my car. I wanted the protection done in a very simple way that doesn't require a lot of time and effort on my part. This is turning into a nightmare. Now I need to get the hood repainted (and I don't have a car to get around in the meantime), argue with these jerks to give me my money back and pay for the hood, etc. Not what I originally intended.

I fully understand. If someone at my shop messes something up, and the customer needs a car, I will get that customer a rental car until the issue is fixed.

 

[3AlarmStang]

This is why my sign company is an LLC. If you do work on others property you need to have insurance to cover things of this nature. They shouldn't be too difficult with you because it's 100% there fault.

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